The Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day Committee’s History, Future and Heart Become a Member

Welcome To The Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day Club

The Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day Committee was organized in the Irish Channel in 1947. The current president of the organization is Richard (Dick) Burke, Jr. (son and nephew of two of the organizers; Dick and Paul Burke).

Despite the years of decline and change in the “Channel,” the organization has survived and this year, plans to parade with the largest membership ever (fourteen hundred plus). The organization credits its survival to their deep, strong roots. While the top root is Irish Heritage, many of it’s members feel an even stronger bond, just being from or associated with, the Irish Channel.

Most people are aware of the pre-parade mass, followed by the parade up Magazine Street with hundreds of men in formal attire. This year the parade will be held on March 11, 2017, the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day. In recent years, the organization’s activities have greatly expanded to include supporting such fund-raisers as Special Olympics.

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Calendar of Events

County Roscommon (Irish: Contae Ros Comáin) is one of Ireland’s undiscovered counties in the western region of the Republic of Ireland and part of the province of Connacht. It is the 11th largest Irish county by area and 27th most populous. It is the third largest of Connacht’s five counties by size and fourth largest in terms of population and has an area of 984 square miles. The county borders every other Connacht county - Galway, Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim, as well as three Leinster counties - Longford, Westmeath and Offaly. The geographical center of Ireland is located in the south of the county.

County Roscommon is named after the county town of Roscommon. Roscommon offers peace and tranquility in an idyllic landscape of lakes, rivers and wooded countryside. The name Roscommon stems from the Irish word 'Ros' meaning a gentle terrain with plenty of trees and 'Conman', the name of the county's famous Irish saint and the first bishop of Roscommon who founded the first monastery there in 550 AD.

Bound by the extensive waterways of the River Shannon and Lough Ree to the east, the River Suck in the west and Lough Key in the north, County Roscommon is a haven for lovers of boats, watersports and of course, angling. Cruising on the water in Roscommon is one of the most enjoyable ways to discover this unspoiled pocket of Ireland. Visitors can also discover a rich heritage of early colonization in Roscommon with many burial grounds, megalithic tombs and ring forts. The royal burial site at Rathcroghan was also home to the kings of Connaught and later become home to the high kings of Ireland. Extensive boglands are found in the west of the county providing turf for winter fuel.

County Roscommon boasts of magnificent preserved forested land with abundant wildlife open to the public. Lough Key Forest Park near Boyle is 350 hectares of mixed woodland, lakes, islands, medieval priories and a castle. It is one of the most picturesque locations in Ireland.
Traditionally the chief industry in County Roscommon has been farming or agricultural related activities. Today farming accounts for 30% of employment in the county. Food manufacturing, bacon production, cannery, dairy food, poultry and other meat products are well represented. Agricultural engineering plants have expanded their output to include commercial and industrial products including those for waste management and building. Tourism is a relatively fledging industry for County Roscommon with great potential for further development. The area is greatly dependent on agriculture, though there is some light industry. The towns have a strong retail trade and monthly fairs, however, and coal mining in Ireland was centered at Arigna until the mine’s closure. The Famine Museum (1994), located at Strokestown Park, commemorates the Irish Potato Famine of 1845–49.

Key attractions: Lough Key in north Roscommon has 32 islands – coincidentally, the number of counties on the island of Ireland. Nearby is Lough Key Forest Park.

Boyle, a city at the foot of the Curlew Mountains, is known for its history and culture. There you will find Boyle Abbey, which was founded in the 12th-century, and, each summer, the Boyle Arts Festival. It is also the hometown of actor Chris O’Dowd and his TV series "Moone Boy."

Tulsk is the nearest village to the mythological (and archaeological) site of Rathcroghan, home of Queen Maebh. It was also the starting point of the Táin Bó Cúailgne, an epic tale in Irish mythology.

Strokestown Park House and Famine Museum is an award-winning museum dedicated to telling the story of the great Irish Famine.